St Peter's Abbey at the time of Edward's funeral, depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry

1065 Westminster Abbey is consecrated. Westminster Abbey is the religious center for Britain's royalty. From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II, all but one of Britain's kings and queens was crowned there. Westminster savors of history. It was founded by the last of the Saxon kings.

Even in Legend, the abbey has been important. Sir Thomas Mallory placed Guenivere and Arthur at the abbey in one of his tales of the Round Table. Old tales say King Ebert of the East Saxons built a church there in the seventh century and that Mellitus the first bishop of London oversaw it, but the evidence for this is weak.

Our historical knowledge firms up in the time of the tenth-century St. Dunstan, who founded (or took over) a monastery on the isle. A century later, Edward the Confessor, last of the Saxon kings to hold the English throne, constructed a great church on the spot. The story is a curious one.

Son of King Ethelred the Unready, Edward spent his youth in exile in Normandy, owing to struggles between the Danes and Saxons for the English throne. Edward is said to have vowed to make a pilgrimage to Rome if restored to his native land and its throne. When the restoration came about in 1041, through the help of Godwin, Earl of Kent, he realized the impracticality of his vow and asked the pope to absolve him of it. Leo IX released him on condition he build an abbey in honor of St. Peter. Edward selected the isle of Thanet as the spot and built himself a palace nearby so that he could watch the work in progress.

The choir and transepts of Edward's famous chapel were dedicated on this day, December 28, 1065. Edward could not attend the ceremony. Desperately ill, he died nine days later. A century after the dedication of Westminster Abbey, Edward was canonized (for political reasons) and his remains translated to the church.

Edward left the English succession in doubt. Harold, son of Godwin, claimed that Edward made the nation over to him on his deathbed. But William, Duke of Normandy, said Edward had left the kingdom to him in his will. William won the contest by conquest.

On Christmas Day, 1066, William was crowned in the chapel that Edward built. Shouts of acclamation rang out, and soldiers, posted outside, thought their Duke was in danger. As a diversion, they set fire to neighboring buildings. The ceremony was hurriedly completed and the audience rushed outside.

George Whitefield's grave in the crypt of Old South Presbyterian Church, Newburyport, Massachusetts between Jonathan Parsons and Joseph Prince.

1741 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'Redeem your precious time: pick up the fragments of it, that not one moment of it may be lost. Be much in secret prayer. Converse less with man, and more with God.' en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Whitefield

1832 In Missouri, St. Louis Academy (founded in 1818) was chartered as St. Louis University. It was the first Catholic university established in the U.S. west of the Allegheny Mountains.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_University

1838 Greensborough Female College was chartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, under the Methodists. In 1913 the name of the school was changed to Greensboro College for Women and was changed again in 1920 to Greensboro College.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_College

Canadian Armour Passing Through Ortona, by Charles Comfort. Canadian War Museum (CN 12245).

1943 World War II: After eight days of brutal house-to-house fighting, the Battle of Ortona concludes with the victory of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division over the German 1st Parachute Division and the capture of the Italian town of Ortona.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ortona

A United Airlines Douglas DC-8 similar to the once involved in the crash.

1978 With the crew investigating a problem with the landing gear, United Airlines Flight 173 runs out of fuel and crashes in Portland, Oregon, killing 10. As a result, United Airlines instituted the industry's first crew resource management program.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_173

2010 Arab Spring: Popular protests begin in Algeria against the government. A continuing series of protests throughout the country started on 28 December 2010, inspired by similar protests across the Middle East and North Africa. On 24 February 2011, the government lifted Algeria's 19-year-old state of emergency.[64] The government enacted legislation dealing with political parties, the electoral code, and the representation of women in elected bodies. In April 2011, Bouteflika promised further constitutional and political reform. However, elections are routinely criticized by opposition groups as unfair and international human rights groups say that media censorship and harassment of political opponents continue.

Births

America the Beautiful - Lyrics for all verses - Lauren Richardson & Aubrey Youngman - Edgertonwww.youtube.com/watch?v=7pC41-_q1xA1847 Samuel A. Ward, American music publisher, in Newark, New Jersey. He is remembered for his hymn tune "Materna" (1882). Ward had originally written "Materna" for the hymn "O Mother dear, Jerusalem" in 1882, though it was not first published until 1892. Ward's music combined with the Bates poem was first published in 1910 and titled "America the Beautiful", with words by Katharine Lee Bates. However, Ward never met Bates. (d. 28 September 1903 at Newark).en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_A._Ward

Hines (left) performs for Pte Charles Carpenter, songwriter and manager of the Hines Orchestra, at Camp Lee, during World War II

1903 Earl Hines, American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one major source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz". (d. 1983)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Hines

1903 John von Neumann, Hungarian-American pure and applied mathematician, physicist, inventor, and polymath. He made major contributions to a number of fields, including mathematics (foundations of mathematics, functional analysis, ergodic theory, geometry, topology, and numerical analysis), physics (quantum mechanics, hydrodynamics, fluid dynamics and quantum statistical mechanics), economics (game theory), computing (Von Neumann architecture, linear programming, self-replicating machines, stochastic computing), and statistics. He was a pioneer of the application of operator theory to quantum mechanics, in the development of functional analysis, a principal member of the Manhattan Project and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (as one of the few originally appointed), and a key figure in the development of game theory and the concepts of cellular automata, the universal constructor, and the digital computer. (d. 1957)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann

1908 Lew Ayres, American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and for playing Dr. Kildare in nine movies. (d. 1996)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Ayres

Billy Williams 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter' 78 rpm www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxhT8T44bt81910 Billy Williams, African-American singer. He had a successful cover recording of Fats Waller's "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" in 1957. The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. His trademark hook for his songs was to shout "Oh, Yeah" at the end of lyrics.(The Charioteers) (d. 1972)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Williams_(singer)

1920 Steve Van Buren, American professional football halfback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) from 1944–1951, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.(d. 2012)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Van_Buren

Johnny Otis - Willie and the Hand Jive (1958) www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kIswurDJt41921 Johnny Otis, American singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario. A seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll, Otis discovered artists such as Little Esther, Big Mama Thornton, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John and Hank Ballard and Etta James. Known as the original "King of Rock & Roll", he is commonly referred to as the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues". (d. 2012)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Otis

1939 Philip Anschutz, American businessman, founded Anschutz Entertainment Group

1939 Michelle Urry, American journalist (d. 2006)

1940 Don Francisco[/b, Chilean-American television host

1943 Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Cardinal Priest and Archbishop of Lima in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a member of the prominent conservative Peruvian Thorne family, and one of two cardinals who are members of Opus Dei, the other being Julián Herranz Casado.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Luis_Cipriani_Thorne

1944 Johnny Isakson, American politician

1944 Kary Mullis, Americsn biochemist, author, and lecturer. In recognition of his improvement of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, he shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Michael Smith and earned the Japan Prize in the same year. The process was first described by Kjell Kleppe and 1968 Nobel laureate H. Gobind Khorana, and allows the amplification of specific DNA sequences. The improvements made by Mullis allowed PCR to become a central technique in biochemistry and molecular biology, described by The New York Times as "highly original and significant, virtually dividing biology into the two epochs of before P.C.R. and after P.C.R."en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kary_Mullis

1990 David Archuleta, American singer-songwriter and actor\2001 Madison De La Garza, American actress

2002 Kelsey Smith-Briggs, American child abuse victim (d. 2005)

Deaths

1446 Antipope Clement VIII (b. 1369)

1524 Johann von Staupitz, German monastic educator and Martin Luther’s friend, If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk in hell," said Martin Luther.

Johann von Staupitz was the vicar of the Augustinian order at the University of Wittenberg when Luther responded to an invitation by Frederick the Wise by coming there to teach. At the time Luther was struggling with the need to confess completely everything he had ever done wrong. He wore Johann von Staupitz out, trying to remember every sin that his mind would try to cover up. On at least one occasion, he confessed for six hours straight.

Johann tried to explain God's grace to Luther. Surrender to the love of God, he counseled. Luther should lose himself in God, he said. He was making religion too difficult. All he needed to do was love God.

But Luther was tormented by fears and doubts. "I was myself more than once driven to the very abyss of despair so that I wished I had never been created. Love God? I hated him!"

"I don't understand it!" replied the longsuffering Johann when Luther reported this latest line of reasoning to him. He reminded Luther that Christ died to remit our sins. However, Luther was so afraid of Christ, the judge, that he could not turn to him for relief.

In a daring move, Johann resigned as Bible teacher and appointed Luther in his place. Now Luther had to study the Bible for himself and counsel others from it. Luther had not dealt much with the Bible; the theology courses he attended emphasized writings other than the scriptures. Lecturing on Romans and Galatians, Luther arrived at his world-changing insights on faith.

In the end, Luther broke with the Roman confessional system which had been of no help to him. He renounced penances and indulgences. The teachings of the Bible became his guides in place of church fathers, confessors, or popes.

Johann never left the Roman Church. However, he remained friendly toward Luther. He was present when Cajetan ordered Luther to recant. Shortly afterward, he released Luther from his Augustinian vows. Still, he wrote words of encouragement to Luther. "The world hates the truth. By such hate Christ was crucified, and what there is in store for you today if not the cross I do not know."

At one point, Johann relayed Luther's position to Rome for the reformer. Pressure was put on Johann to shut Luther up. Johann resigned rather than attempt it. Rome ordered him to recant. He hesitated. He had never taught the things he was told to abjure (renounce). In the end, he accepted the pope as his judge.

In his last letter to Luther, Johann told him he still loved him dearly. But he implored him to remember the weak. "Do not denounce points of indifference which can be held in sincerity," he advised, adding, "We owe much to you, Martin."

1872 James Van Ness, American politician, 7th Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1808)

Catholic chaplains of the Irish Brigade, 1862. Fr. Corby is in the front row, right.

1897 William Corby, American priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and a Union Army chaplain in the American Civil War attached to the Irish Brigade. He later served twice as President of the University of Notre Dame.(b. 1833)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Corby

Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas. In Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated with pranks (inocentadas), similar to April Fools' Day. (Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran Church)

December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Feasts

Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ.

Saints

Apostle Nicanor the Deacon, one of the Seven Deacons, and one of the Seventy (34)

Martyr Secundus, an Enlightener of Spain, sent by the Apostles to Spain to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1st century)